Hello, I’m Ash (she/her). When I was very young, I was intrigued with ghost stories. I kept a small notebook with black pages in which I would jot down (with Gelly Roll pens, of course) ghost stories I heard, terms I learned, and quotes I enjoyed. I would print out ghost stories and pictures from the internet (thanks AOL) and glue them into my notebook. It was filled with handwriting, printed text, graphics, sketches. I assumed it would be a guidebook for my future career as a paranormal investigator.
While the book is most likely hidden in my parents’ attic, my interest in ghosts has not wavered. And, while my skepticism has grown, my desire to actually see a ghost has never vanished.
On this site, and in a physical notebook, I will continue my childhood scholarly pursuits of understanding ghosts and society’s fascination with them. I look forward to making this personal project public and hearing your insights.
About Me
I received my PhD in Rhetoric from Purdue University, my master’s from Miami University of Ohio, and bachelor’s from Purdue. I write about haunted history, commonplace books, and spooky folklore on my blog NotebookofGhosts.com. In addition, I maintain a newspaper archive of ghost stories proven to be false (and sometimes humorously so) at ItWasNotaGhost.com. I share my passion for photographing cemeteries, making zines, collecting ghosts and Halloween decorations, and reading spooky short stories on my Instagram account @notebookofghosts.
My book on haunted history in Indiana will be released by Arcadia Publishing in Fall 2025.
Haunt Me
I can be reached at notebookofghosts@gmail.com.
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I am available to speak and write about the following topics:
- the history of commonplace books
- maintaining commonplace books
- funny/weird ghost stories from Indiana newspapers
- haunted places in Indiana/the Midwest
- monsters of the Midwest/Indiana
- cemetery history and symbology
- archival research methods
I’m on Instagram!
Notebook of Ghosts 